When Two Worlds Divide (On Hold)

Chapter 11 - Lies and Deceit

Ok so I really couldn't decide whose perspective to do this from because I don't have an order so I eventually settled in Legolas because Aragorn can't see so that would be pretty hard to describe!

Thanks to everyone reading this! Thanks in particular goes to PackWolfLegolas , Jaya-Avendel , Cynarr , dobblewolf and Definitely-Lost but please remember that anyone who reads this has my never-ending gratitude! Please comment and VOTE to let me know if you enjoy this! Right, here goes! *Takes a deep breath* As always...
Enjoy...

Gritting his teeth, Legolas followed the Nazgûl. His body naturally responded to all the being wished. He glanced back at the limp form of the ranger, lying on the stone floor behind them. As if it had read his mind, the voice spoke in his mind. Yes. You have taken his place. You have proved yourself. It laughed cruelly. You are so much more important to me. Your father will come for you... and I will kill him.

Legolas felt as if his heart had skipped a beat. His breathing quickened. He understood now. He was the bait for a death-trap. A death-trap for King Thranduil.

The whole world seemed to slow down as Legolas imagined life without his father. Imagined the guilt telling him it was his fault, he was the one responsible, the one who was gullible enough to walk straight into the Nazgûl's trap. And for what? To prove himself? More like watching his father die before his very eyes. The only slightly positive thing he could think of was that the ranger wasn't here with him. At least the had died in an attempt to save another.

———

Legolas sat alone in a nearly pitch-black cell. Anger boiled inside him and he fought with more fury than ever against the Witch-King's hold on his mind. Fought with every breath to break free, with all the anger and sorrow and guilt inside him. But all that happened was a small frenzy inside his mind, not a muscle moved without consent from the dark being. He was helpless. Now that the Nazgûl wasn't actually here, he could move freely enough, but always he could feel that any wrong move, anything that would make his captor suspicious, would be impossible. He simply couldn't carry out tasks that it didn't want him to.

And the human... Legolas had seen him. The ranger was dying, starved, ill and fatally poisoned. He was also paralysed, as far as Legolas could tell, for he hadn't moved during the whole time with the Nazgûl. Not a good combination for survival in the wild. Legolas thought. He will die soon. I hope it's painless, easy. Unlike Ada's will be.

Unbidden, tears began to slide down his cheeks, pooling at the corners of his mouth before dropping down onto his chest. The thought of his father filled his mind and he sat there in the faint light of his own elvish glow, crying until no more tears would come. For himself. For Thranduil. For the helpless ranger lying paralysed on the borders of Mirkwood. For Arda and the evil place it had become.

He didn't know how long he sat there for. Only that eventually, a dread began to fill him and he curled tighter around himself in a corner, dreading the return of his captor. His sharp elvish ears picked up the faint sounds of metal boots on the stone floor. A key turned in the lock. But the Nazgûl didn't enter. Instead, a body was thrown into the cell and the door slammed shut and was locked. Legolas recognised who it was immediately. It was the silver-eyed ranger he had 'traded' places with earlier. Only he hadn't. Because here was that same ranger, lying on the floor of the cell in front of Legolas.

You didn't really think I would leave him there did you? The voice taunted. Oh. You did. Pity. Legolas gritted his teeth in helpless rage as the Nazgûl's footsteps receded down the corridor. Then he crawled over to the human. He was alive. Just. His eyes were open but he did not acknowledge Legolas' presence. He just lay still and stared into space as if nothing else existed. Frankly, the Prince was surprised he was still breathing. Although he probably wishes he isn't. Gently, Legolas placed a hand on the man's shoulder. The ranger started, moving his head ever so slightly to look around. When his gaze passed Legolas, he didn't stop, but continued to stare past him, his gaze roving everywhere, never focussing. And then the Prince realised. The human can't see. Clearing his throat, he spoke softly, hoping to comfort the young man in front of him.

"My name is Legolas Greenleaf of the Woodland Realm in Mirkwood. My father is King Thranduil of the forest. That makes me a Prince, but I don't really care. Thranduil does though. He says I should act more like the royalty I am, and stop acting like the commoners I will one day rule."

Talking about nothing at all calmed Legolas, and he hoped it had the same effect on the human. It was difficult to tell though, when said human couldn't move or see. Suddenly, he heard the ranger speak. It was a mere whisper, hoarse from disuse. "My Ada says that too." The man murmured, more to himself than to anybody else. "I mean... he used to say it." Then he closed his eyes and was silent again.

Legolas frowned at the human's words. What did he mean? Was he royal too? Or perhaps he was just confused by the poison in his bloodstream. And his father... had called him Ada? But that was an elvish name. Was he an elf? Legolas checked again. No, he was definitely human. So why? And his Ada had used to say it? Nothing this human said made sense. Legolas decided to keep him talking.

"I'm sorry." He said. "Is your Ada dead?" No wonder the human looked as if he had given up on all life.

He is a murderer. The Nazgûl hissed in his mind. The sudden appearance of the voice startled Legolas. He told me so. You can't trust him, Greenleaf. Legolas ignored it. But a small voice asked. Did he kill his own father? He asked the man quickly, "Who are you?"

"I'm a murderer." The man whispered. Legolas stared, slack-jawed with shock.

"Did you... you didn't... you didn't kill your Ada did you?"

"No." The human sighed. The very effort of talking seemed to be exhausting him. "I killed his daughter. Or at least, I will have soon. I tore his whole family apart. It's all my fault. I killed her, Legolas!" He practically shouted the last part, before falling silent once more. A muffled "Leave me alone." Was the last thing he said, and no matter what Legolas did, he refused to speak again.

———

That night, Legolas tried something. He could feel that the Witch-King was far away and completely distracted from him by something else. So he sat very still, and, using all his elvish strength and resistance to evil, all his pent up emotions and thoughts of Thranduil, and he released them all at once inside his mind, like a flood that has just been released from behind a dam. He channelled this flood, spitting and roaring and crowned with white foam, over the Witch-King and his connection, and let all the savage grief, anger and guilt tear at the hold on his mind.

The Witch-King's power over Legolas had never been as strong as the Prince had led him to believe. Every now and again, when the Nazgûl was afar, Legolas had felt his icy grasp of control slipping away, and had had to fight to keep it there, to show his captor that he was completely helpless. And somehow, miraculously, it had worked. Legolas was able to break all contact without nearly as much difficulty as he had feared, and eventually, finally, he was free.

The human was sleeping. Gently, Legolas rose and shook him awake. The man opened his eyes, staring sightlessly ahead. "Ú-caro gosta, Mellon-nín [do not be afraid, my friend]. Pân natha mae." The human calmed at the words, and relaxed once more. He didn't even bother asking why Legolas had woken him up. The Prince frowned.

"No, do not sleep again yet. Wake up, ranger. I'm getting you out of here."

Sorry about the slow updating you may have noticed I just started a new post-LOTR fanfic called "A Dying Star". Please check it out! Many thanks to dobblewolf Definitely-Lost and PackWolfLegolas who have already done so! Please comment and VOTE if you enjoyed: I really appreciate all comments and votes! Thanks and bye!